Software keyboard input method for realizing composite key on electronic device screen

Abstract

A software keyboard input method for implementing compound keys on an electronic device screen is provided to assist a user in fast inputting a text with convenience and efficiency. Two letters are displayed on a key. The user performs a ambiguous input by directly clicking a key, and performs a precise input by moving a contact point via which a fast selection of a symbol and a fast switching of a uppercase letter are realized. With the software keyboard input method for implementing compound keys on an electronic device screen, information can be inputted on the electronic device screen easily and accurately. The method is of convenient usage and flexibility.

1 . A software keyboard input method for implementing compound keys on an electronic device screen, comprising:
 1) a display step of displaying a plurality of keys on a tactile display device, wherein at least some keys present a plurality of letters;   2) a detection step of detecting a contact point motion on said keys performed by a user;   3) a determination step of determining a content corresponding to the present key-press performed by the user; and   4) an input step of inputting a user selection into an editing text.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein,
 at least some keys present two letters in the display step.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises: determining whether the present input is a precise input or a ambiguous input; if the present input is a precise input, determining the content of the present input to be the letter corresponding to the contact point motion; if the present input is a ambiguous input, determining the content of the present input to be any one of the letters on the key, and finalizing the content after a word in a candidate area is selected by the user in the input step; 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then directly releasing the key, determining the content of the present input to be the letter closest to the position of a contact point being pressed on the key. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then directly releasing the key, determining a position of the contact point being pressed; if the position locates at the left part of the key, inputting the left letter on the key; otherwise, inputting the right letter on the key. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and directly releasing the key, determining the present input to be a ambiguous input and determining the content of the present input to be any one of the letters on the key, wherein the content is finalized after a word in the candidate area is selected by the user in the input step.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving towards a direction of a letter on the key for a certain distance, determining the present input to be a precise input and determining the content of the present input to be the letter in said direction on the key. 
     
     
         8 . The method  claim 2 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving leftwards for a certain distance, determining the present input to be a precise input and determining the content of the present input to be the left letter on the key; if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving rightwards for a certain distance, determining the present input to be a precise input and determining the content of the present input to be the right letter on the key. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is long-pressing a key and then selecting a letter, determining the present input to be a precise input and determining the content of the present input to be the selected letter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the input step comprises adding a user-defined word into a user-defined word list when the user selects the user-defined word which is not in a dictionary and inputs the user-defined word in the editing area via the precise input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the following step after the display step:
   11  a symbol display step of displaying at least one symbol on some keys, wherein the at least one symbol includes but not limited to a punctuation, a number.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving towards a direction of a symbol on the key for a certain distance, determining the content of the present input to be the symbol in said direction on the key. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving upwards for a certain distance, or releasing the key after moving upwards for a certain distance and then downwards for a certain distance, or releasing the key after long-pressing for a certain period, or double-clicking the key, or any one of predetermined motions, determining the content of the present input to be an uppercase of any one of the letters on the key or a switching case of a letter, wherein the switching case of the letter indicates that an uppercase letter is determined when the default status is lowercase, and an lowercase letter is determined when the default status is uppercase. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving upper-left for a certain distance, determining the content of the present input to be the uppercase of the left letter on said key, or the switching case of the left letter on said key; if the contact point motion is pressing a key and then releasing the key after moving upper-right for a certain distance, determining the content of the present input to be the uppercase of the right letter on said key, or the switching case of the right letter on said key, wherein the switching case indicates that an uppercase letter is determined when the default status is lowercase, and an lowercase letter is determined when the default status is lowercase. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the determination step comprises, if the contact point motion is pressing a key, moving towards a direction of a letter on the key, long-pressing the key for a certain period and then releasing the key, determining the content of the present input to be the uppercase of the letter in the movement direction on said key, or the switching case of the letter in the movement direction on said key, wherein the switching case of the letter indicates that an uppercase letter is determined when the default status is lowercase, and an lowercase letter is determined when the default status is uppercase. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the following step after the determination step:
 31) an indication step of displaying indication information of a current input.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the following step after the determination step:
 32) a prediction step of searching a predicted candidate word in a dictionary based on the sequence of the keys inputted by the user and displaying said predicted candidate word.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein, the indication step comprises dynamically displaying the contents of the current input in an indication area. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, the prediction step comprises, searching, based on the sequence of the keys inputted by the user, the word in the dictionary or the user-defined word list, and displaying the possible candidate word in the candidate area. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the input step comprises inputting the selected word to the editing text via a preset operation, wherein the preset operation includes, but not limited to, directly clicking the selected word in the candidate area, or pressing a confirmation key after a cursor is moved to the selected word. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the input step comprises inputting a default candidate word to the editing text by pressing any specified shortcut key, wherein the shortcut key includes, but not limited to, a space key or an Enter key. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the input step comprises automatically inputting the default candidate word to the editing text without a selection in the candidate area. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, the input step comprises, directly inputting the content being precisely inputted to the editing text without a selection in the candidate area when a precise input is adopted entirely. 
     
     
         24 . A portable electronic device, wherein,
 the method of  claim 1  is adopted.